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capricioustenets · 2 years

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A Gambling Troll: Part 1

chimericArchitect

Aaaannd sent! One wretched .zip file full of incriminating selfies and inflammatory sneak-shots, a collection of and testament to the months-long labor she is finally bringing to a close. Even deep as she's gone into their systems and their lives, choosing to do something so direct and confrontational... it brews up a pot of anxiety in her cool cucumber chest. Surely though, none could debate the presence of the pointed humor her lovingly-selected photographs contain.

((RP logs for Grand's current plot with chimericArchitect are under the cut! Please be advised, this is a long fucking post. Enjoy!))

Perched atop the back of the enormous cushioned 'throne' sits Saness, swinging her legs over the spine of it and looking distantly through the slanted glass, her back to the room and pulpit. Her mind is far away as the stars, thumbing over feelings and emotions that have since gone cool and numb. It's a beautiful thing, this glass, touching all the room in its luminous stain. Holiness. It feels like the color could seep right into her soul, if only she could learn how to let it in. The scenes themselves are easy enough to understand, things she could parse even if she hadn't spent so long studying them all. The Twain. The path. Colors and blood. Grand. Signless. The Makara descendant. Wings. The meteors.

Her hair hangs loose around her shoulders, waves magicked a dark black that doesn't bleed the light as well as her froth of white would have. It shifts when she yawns, all alone now that her 'friends' have left to sleep. She feels very small, perched up there. She hopes Prediger doesn't see her message too soon; she wants to stare at young Gamzee's smiling face a bit longer, idolized as he is in glowing white and black. It doesn’t look very much like any Gamzee she knows, but largely, her mind is wandering. It's all feelings in her chest and very little concrete thought, the majority of her attention fixated rather firmly on the security bugs she'd spiked their systems with, waiting for her cue to abandon ship... but not before she has her chance to rub it in Prediger's smunky face.

Trolls shackled to the pews behind her weep and babble softly, cursed by the hue of their blood to suffer in this otherwise quiet place, as if she'd needed some solemn reminder not to enjoy the view too much. She's had a lot of practice ignoring the troubled warmbloods though; neither their miserable voices nor the smell of their blood on the walls reach across the gated bridge in her pusher.

They are the living sadness of this place. Scenery that begs to be ignored. She could relate, she guesses... Now that she has no purpose here, maybe she ought to spend this time inflicting her morality on this place, untethering the wounded and whisking them away in a shock of light. A little impromptu rescue-kidnapping, to properly burn the bridge in her wake.

It is as this debate worms its way back up through her resistant mind that Saness is interrupted, still swinging her feet with that faraway look of contemplation steeped into the canvas of her paint.

capriciousTenament

Somewhere else on the ship, a chief Investigaterror grumbles and reaches for his phone, wondering who the hell is messaging him at this hour when he is supposed to be settling down to sleep. A bleary eye looks at the zip file, sent from someone he knows is not of this universe, and he barely restrains a low growl.

Time to see what the fuck that's all about, he supposes.

However our attention isn't on the greasy man with prank problems.

The Grand Highblood is restless. He should be sleeping himself, by now, but his mind is too full of racing thoughts. His dreams have been so consumed by his wiggler lately, perhaps... Perhaps soon. He wants it to be soon.

He lies in bed, staring up at the colors on his ceiling and the light passing through his own personal stained window, before a sudden decision has him swinging his legs out and standing with a long stretch.

He needs to pray. The glass in the throne room is the best place to be, right now. Standing in front of his wiggler's angelic face. Watching his smile. Maybe that will settle his thoughts. He throws on a clerical robe over his thin underarmor and begins his solemn march down to the cathedral.

Upon arrival, he's greeted with the sight of the smaller clown who has come here for much the same purpose. Perched on the back of his throne, staring out at the galaxy they're passing through. There's only a moment of thought before he grins a wicked grin, pulls out a bike horn, and walks quieter than anyone his size has the right to walk.

HONK.

chimericArchitect

Try as he might to beat a proper flight-or-fight response into his spade, Ringleader’s response lessons have a harder time sticking than some of the other ones. In truly dramatic fashion, the young clown on the throne sucks in a breath and squishes away from the sudden sound with the tense speed of a startled octopus, losing her balance, teetering forward and then sharply overcorrecting toward her dorsal end. Saness falls heel over horn into the seat of the throne, bouncing once upon the cushion with a thuff and a sharp fart, then settling into it with the continuous sound of a slow fffppfpffpfeeee as she lays there akimbo on the seat - where a whoopee cushion had been hidden in wait of the Grand enormous ass.

She doesn't immediately move into a position of greater dignity, staring alarmed and bewildered up through the frame of her knees toward what little she can see of the other person in the room. What... just happened? This is a stupid angle, the arm and back of the comfy chair blotting out most of her sight, but she definitely sees the color of clownly purple in the fabric of their dress - that's enough to spawn understanding. Little hands cover her mouth to stifle her near-silent laughter, eyes crinkled to the absurdity of it all. Clowns are so stupid. A jumpscare? At this hour? Here??

Of course here. Of course at this hour. Of course a jumpscare. Forgetting for a moment to attend to her security feed, Saness waits in the too-big seat like the prize her tumble has become. A good little clown, a giggling prankster's treat, patient for the victor's delight.

capriciousTenament

The laughter comes nearly immediately, a delighted sound even as muffled as it is coming through stitched lips. It only gets louder and more wheezing as the fart sound slowly peters out. The old, tall clown comes around the throne at a leisurely pace. His eyes are sparkling with mischief, a wicked grin stretching the stitches. He's still holding the horn, proof of his victory over the startled little clown in his seat.

There he is, in all his glory. Not as tall as her Aeshma, quite a bit leaner. The resemblance in the face is there, though. His cloud of hair is tied back with a purple ribbon, and it poofs out behind him in a massive tangled ponytail. Once she's seen him, and once she's seen the silver horn in his hand, it poofs back into his sylladex and he raises his hands to sign at her.

{good morning little sister.}

chimericArchitect

"Uh- oh, uh-"

The Grand himself. She's seen him around plenty of times while she's been working here, and came uncomfortably close to an interaction once or twice, but- they're all alone right now, right?

Overcoming the additional surprise of seeing Him, Saness rights herself (less than gracefully) and winds up sitting cross-legged on his throne cushion, hands on her shins, where she has a quick peek around to see if they truly are alone. No armed guard… Her attention comes back to rest on the man addressing her, soaking him in. There is a stark contrast between them. She, small, cast in the shadow of the chair below. He, large, bathed in the broken light above... He's very pretty with his hair pulled back like that, she thinks. Rather fetching. It accentuates the sharpness of his features, the shallower lines over familiar bones. ...He could be due for a bit of brushing. Saness studies him a moment longer, then laughs again very softly. Circumstance is the touch of divinity. This may as well happen.

{Good morning, big brother. You gave me quite the fright!}

She pantomimes her pusher thump-thump-popping right out of her chest for a silly bit of extra flair, palms immediately falling back to her ankles afterward to patiently await his reply. Etiquette! Even outwardly though, Saness seems expectant - almost voraciously curious, very openly interested in his person. Some of her hair is caught over her horn, but she either doesn't notice or doesn't care.

capriciousTenament

A soft snort as she rights herself, and he looks at her almost as curiously as she's looking at him. He doesn’t recognize her, that’s for certain, but with a flock as large as his he’s sure to miss a face here or there. There is fondness in his expression, even without recognition. He likes the smaller clowns of his congregation. Those not yet hardened by their eternal crusade, the kind who still dramatically fall off chairs when he honks at them. It reminds him, often, of his own clumsy little self.

{pratfalls are one of comedy's finest gifts ta the masses, sister. ain't no troll i know what wouldn't get a chuckle outta a good faceplant. sorry for interruptin your reflections or prayers. seems like a good light for them at least.}

He reaches down, once he's done signing at her. Offers her a hand back to her feet with a soft smile. His hair really could use a brush.

chimericArchitect

She takes his hand with a nod that acknowledges his sentiment and allows herself to be pulled upright, a firm and confident touch in his. It's strange how warm his skin feels, but a helping hand deserves a friendly squeeze. It's kind of a rule, to her at least. She takes the liberty of propping herself up on his palm for just a moment extra, stepping spritely up onto the arm of his chair before releasing her tiny grip. There is care in the way she keeps her claws from prickling at his skin.

Now that she's standing upright it is clear that Saness is nearly the same height as Naxmyr, but her features are a bit harder and longer. Their eyes are similar in their round and friendly way, but other than that the only commonality remaining between them lies in the bell-like rubber goose energy they both contain. Saness's thoughts are wistfully on what he has said on his blog, amused by the Grand's encouraging speech. Wrigglers and chests puffed with charming pride, right? He chooses to take the sting out of his little victories and encourage his younger family.

Is that what brings him here, all rumpled and restless?

{There aren't many with heads so heavy. What is it that has brought you here, at an hour such as this?}

capriciousTenament

He gives her another little smile as she perches on the arm of his throne. It's so much easier to make eye contact now that she's anywhere near his height. His own energy has softened, from the amusement of a prank gone well to a thoughtfulness covered by his smile.

At her signed words, he sighs softly, and his gaze travels past her to the window himself. There's a long moment as he watches the slowly passing galaxies behind his descendant's likeness before he turns his attention back to the little clown.

{sleep is coming hard this light. too many busy thoughts whirling in my pan. thought i'd come down here and do some prayer and reflection of my own, see if i can't calm the racing a bit.}

A small gesture toward the window with the grubling. {when i get caught up thinking about his coming it is hard to settle my pan.}

chimericArchitect

Saness is reluctant to stare into his eyes overmuch and tends to deflect to the bridge of his nose, the paint on his cheekbone, his ear... The eye-contact she makes is sparing, patient, and studious.

She turns when he turns, to watch what he watches. Gamzee. Resplendent. Joyous. Her eye is more often drawn to the elder representative, with his meteors and his wings. No Gamzee she has known... has ever been so lucky, as to be happy. He is the sign of a coming, but hardly the source.

And in the end, it's just glass. Strange how much it aches.

Saness is quiet beyond her apparent sweeps, taking the time to choose gentle words. {What was it like? Adding his face to the glass.}

capriciousTenament

He turns to her, when he's done talking. Patiently waiting for her to sign in return, as she clearly seems to prefer it. And the quiet is nice, he thinks, for a light like this. Only broken briefly by joviality.

It's strange how much quieter the chained trolls are, when he is present. No one wants to draw his notice.

The question she finally asks brings his smile down, a bit. It makes him solemn. Wistful, perhaps? He looks back at the figure of his coming descendant, this time similarly focused on the angelic rendition. He'd heard the words so many times. Asked for clarity and was told his descendant's paint. Told that the boy will share his curls, his horns, his face... Told that his descendant will be the end of the universe and the beginning of everything that comes after.

{...never before him has there been so clear and descriptive a prophecy. i do not see, i only listen when my messiahs speak but the description has always been achingly close to my pusher.}

A slow breath, hands still raised to continue his sentence.

{you know, most stained glass before i took the throne was historical. like the first three there. but i wanted him there. i wanted him to know how important he is, and how excited i am to finally meet him. i know it's a lot of weight.} Another solemn sigh. {mayhaps i wanted the rest of my bretheren ta be as excited as i am. but i will be there for him every damn step he takes on his righteous journey. i will help him with whatever weight i can.}

chimericArchitect

Soft, damnable pusher, breaking in inches with every weighted sigh that bleeds out of the Grand. It's too easy to relate to, the act of waiting for a fantasy. Only she knows that the rug won't stay under his feet. Is it guilt she's feeling? Knowing too much. Lying to him, pretending not to know how this story ends. It is NOT with a family reunion.

It's loneliness, isn't it? Steadfast impatience, eating away at him. No quadrants.No proper friends. No equals. All his hopes, the culmination of his faith pinned on a troll that hasn't yet hatched. The Grand is in pain, because he is alone, and when his little descendant finally arrives, he won't have to be alone anymore. The only things he is allowed to have... are his gods, and his heir.

Saness... hesitates. She wishes, with all her heart, to be able to offer him some sort of comfort in this moment. To lie to him. 'He will be loved.' 'He's lucky to have you.' 'Gamzee won't be alone, as you are.' Is it obvious to him, the way it's obvious to her? He'll give it all for that little phantom.

...She is staring at him. Burdened by his burden. All the while keeping tabs on security. What could she say that won't inevitably turn to poison when she wounds this clown's pump?

{What kind of romantic do you think he will be? The poetic type?} There is a pause, as she tries not to be too obviously sad, but her hands are still up to continue speaking. {I think... he will be good at pratfalls.}

Her hands stay up a little longer, then slowly fall.

capriciousTenament

He meets her eyes again, as she signs. The first sentence gets a soft smile from him, at the thought of his descendant being romantic. Poetic. He was never really good with words himself, not until he started learning how to preach. Even that took so many, many sweeps of practice. Dedication. And some help, here and there. Something else pangs in his pusher for a moment, but it's a much, much older wound.

But then the second sentence gets this... Smile, from him. Not the kindly smile of a mentor, or the dark smile of a commander. For just a moment, you can see the younger troll beneath his paint, the Kurloz who favored Comedy, the boy who joined the circus. There is mirth in his face, and a happy chuckle rumbles up and out of him.

{he'll take after me, then. i can't wait ta throw a pie in his motherfuckin face and get one right back.}

chimericArchitect

{Oh, you know he'd love that.}

Nimble in soft harem pants, Saness hops back up to perch atop Grand's throne, only juuusst taller than him. Now her silhouette causes a break in the light, teal on a coil of hair, jade on a shoulder. Her legs swing again, very lightly.

{What's the most ambitious prank you've ever pulled? He's gotta have some big clown shoes to fill.}

capriciousTenament

He comes around the side of the throne, now. Leaning on the back of it near her, the comedic smile not quite faded from his face.

{most ambitious prank? i roped in some a my best heavy lifters and some equipment, back on alternia when not everyone lived in the church so we could get away with the noise. shuttered the windows, and it took all light, but the motherfuckin faces when my churchgoers walked in and saw the whole inside of the cathedral upside down...}

He can't stop his own chuckling, but it doesn't mean he can't sign. {had straps ta hold me, the clergenerals, and the calliopist in place. i were purple in the face both from hangin and from laughin at the shock of everyone lookin up at me.}

chimericArchitect

She laughs when he does, easily coaxed by the sincerity of his chuckling. It hurts, though. She didn't expect it to do that. The prank he chose as his most ambitious is so benign that it physically burns against the malice she brought into his home, and her laughter peters out too soon.

This Grand is very much not like her Aeshma.

She smiles through the window, and then down at her boots.

"You are a very funny clown."

capriciousTenament

There's a moment of sincere surprise when she speaks aloud. Big smile. He mimes honking his nose and tips her an exaggerated wink.

And then his gaze travels back to the window again. He feels strangely better now. A bit of comedy to lift the pan out of melancholy, that's what he needed. He's glad there was someone here, he thinks to himself.

{glad to hear my charm ain't run thin quite yet. next big prank i pull will be on fishbitch's ship, you mark my motherfuckin words. i'm thinkin confetti cannons, silly string, or some glitterbombs.}

chimericArchitect

What a charmer, all silly and surprised... She wonders what his stitches are made of, and how he eats. Does someone help him with his hair? Is a warm block better, or a cold one?

The way he looks out the window seems different now. Or is she imagining it? His posture looks easier...

Maybe she'll be alone again soon.

{...I'm a bit of a fan of glitter myself, though you know it would irritate the gills.}

...

...Should she ask? If he feels any better? Maybe she should like, yawn. Coward.

She yawns.

capriciousTenament

{yeah well. she deserves a little gill irritation sometimes.}

The yawn gets his attention, and he yawns in return which looks remarkably silly on his stitched face.

{tired, sister? i am still not quite ready for rest myself. want to stay here baskin in color a while longer.}

chimericArchitect

Uhh...

Guess that won't work then.

Slowly, Saness shakes her head no and goes back to staring out the window.

{I guess I'm not quite ready to leave either.}

capriciousTenament

{what's got you in such a contemplative mood, sister?}

Curiosity piqued, he arches an eyebrow at her. A lot of his attention remains on the stained glass still, however.

Somewhere, Prediger is staring disbelievingly at the pictures he's been sent. There is rage boiling in his blood. He gets dressed as quick as he can, and starts a quick march to the security office, calling the clown on duty as he walks. Nothing on Saness's side yet, but the lockdown process is soon to begin.

chimericArchitect

Saness pauses again. The smartest thing to do would be to lie... but would that be the kindest thing?

...Do big shitty joke-missions have room for kindness? Saness runs her thumb over a narrow scar on her knuckles, then watches the Grand, close enough to touch. He has a strong profile. It catches the light of his fixation well.

She hadn't expected to like him and had been very careful about not catching his attention or his ire... but he's actually very silly, and very warm. He must have started out kind. Is that where she's going?

Saness looks briefly over her shoulder at the dead and the dying that remain in the pews, and cannot bring herself to sigh.

{It might ruin the mood if I brought it up now.}

capriciousTenament

The next look back at her is one of near-worry. A little church sister having a bad night, and what does he do but burden her with all of his nonsense. Really now, Kurloz. The leader of the church pouring problems onto someone who couldn't even be a tenth his age.

So the brows get more furrowed, and he reaches up to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. It's steady, and big, and he's not as careful about his claws as she is, but the gesture is certainly not unkind. If allowed, he will rest his hand there for a long moment before taking it back to sign at her.

{if a big motherfucker like me can burden you with my own buzzin thoughts about the future, a big motherfucker can also listen and help a sister out if it's somethin that can be helped.}

chimericArchitect

What a surprise... that he would be the one to initiate contact. She'd resisted the urge to do the same for him earlier... Saness doesn't shy away from the touch, though it rushes her pulse with adrenaline and slowly twists her up the longer it stays. What could he be thinking, behind those eyes? His hand is so heavy, brow weighted to match; he must think she's some sort of troubled wriggler, which is...

Ugh, she's going to hurt his *feelings.*

{What do you think Messiahs want us to do, when they speak to us in chance?}

capriciousTenament

He hums to himself. The sound of it hints at what would have been a lovely baritone voice, not as deep as Aeshma's. It's a bit crackly from underuse. He takes a moment to choose his words.

{it depends. a gamble will always be a gamble, but if it is a matter of faith then i think messiahs will always want your trust in their outcomes.}

chimericArchitect

...Well. That part is easy. She doesn't really believe that the sphere of her gods' influence is truly so broad, but faith is to look for the strokes and attribute it to them anyway. To make those strokes into a gift, perhaps.

Whatever the outcome, pray that it be funny.

{I like that answer. I think it fits with where my own thoughts are at. Are you more of a gambling troll, or not?}

capriciousTenament

{depends on what im gambling i suppose. i don’t mind a bet here and there but i don't like puttin anythin important in the line a fire.}

Like his family, or their future. He glances back at the window, at the fiery rain, for a moment.

chimericArchitect

A nod. Saness follows his gaze... and Wonders. It's a clingy emotion, a feeling oozing into her subconscious more than anything. Their Future, huh...

{...I tend to think of myself as someone who doesn't really like to take many risks, but it seems like I keep looking back and realizing 'oh, that was much bigger than it seemed at the start.' Did you have a lot of moments like that when you were younger?}

capriciousTenament

A small snort, and a nod. He was such a little shit when he was a kid.

{oh all the motherfuckin time. got myself into loads of trouble. you take a big gamble, sister?}

chimericArchitect

Fuck dude, you could say that. It's almost funny on its own, sitting here, knowing what she's about to do, looking right at him from a foot away.

{I am, yeah. You see, this guy made me really mad. He has a whole attitude, and he's sooo superior - he insulted something I care a lot about. Normally I'm a bit of a pushover, but this time...}

Saness shrugs.

{I decided that I wanted to knock him down a peg. It's probably a bit excessive, because...}

Saness pauses again. Glances at Grand's eyes, looks away. Swipes her palms over her thighs and kicks her foot in an awkward fidget, then looks at the Grand again. This is stupid. She's so stupid. He's going to think she's stupid.

capriciousTenament

The focus has shifted again. Away from the stained glass and toward the little clown. He’s no stranger to listening to problems from his flock. When it’s clear she needs a bit of prompting, he does so.

{because?}

chimericArchitect

She makes a little face at him, screwing up her mouth distastefully.

{Because what if I hurt somebody else I didn't mean to hurt in the process?}

capriciousTenament

...A pause. A solemn nod at her.

{i know the feelin of wantin someone knocked down. the rush you get when a motherfucker gets whats COMIN. but it's all too easy ta lose sight of those who might be nearby when all you can see is red. have you hurt someone else?}

chimericArchitect

The question weighs heavy on her. Only a particularly keen eye would interpret the solemnity of her being as anything more directed than a general mournful air, but... the way she looks at him...

{I will soon. It has become inevitable. So maybe all I can do now is mitigate it.}

capriciousTenament

...The lockdown has begun. There are no loud alarms. No one would want to alert a spy that they'd been found, to give them any notice before they're trapped like a rat. But with her hook into the security system she can see the moment that all the outside connections blink off, she can see the transportalizer network shutting down. She still has her backdoor entry into their systems for now. Prediger must be making the best face. She’s seen the way he grimaces when he’s upset, like he just licked something so bitter it hurts.

The Grand is keen of eye, certainly, but he has a bit of a blind spot when it comes to himself. Why would anyone care if they hurt him of all trolls? But there's something about her stare that makes him wonder, even so.

{i think that's for the best, sister.}

chimericArchitect

"I-"

Her eyes widen just a fraction, like something has startled her, or perhaps like she's had some kind of epiphany.

...That's her cue. Saness really needs to run. The original plan had been to watch security so she could take some choice footage of Prediger's fury, or to somehow lure him to her location so she could take one last asinine picture together--

But she's been so caught up in this conversation, she didn't... do... that.

Saness uncaptchalogues her palmhusk. Little booted heels press against the back of the throne as she opens the camera app.

"Would you take a selfie with me?" Her arm sticks out as far as it will go, so they both appear on the tiny screen. "Make a funny face."

capriciousTenament

He nods, and leans in. She can get them both in frame easy enough. He even scrunches his nose up a little and crosses his eyes for her. He can do that, to cheer her up a bit.

chimericArchitect

Snap. The device is immediately drawn back to her person so she can examine the captured image, held in such a way that he can see too, if he wants. The technology of the device is not particularly local in design, though who knows if he's tech-savvy enough to catch that. Probably not. In the photo itself, the lighting is inconsistent, but very pretty. She's got a scrunched wink, her tongue out, and a peace sign to accompany his crossed eyes and scrunched nose. They look pretty stupid.

"Nice." She closes the camera app and opens the gallery, tinier thumbnails on the already tiny screen. "Do you want to see some funny pictures I took? They're all of the guy I was one-upping."

capriciousTenament

He is definitely looking. The faces make him smile a wistful sort of smile. At her question though, he nods.

{oughtta get at least a little fun out of it, right?}

He's squinting at the thumbnails a little. He might be getting older but his eyesight is still as sharp as ever.

chimericArchitect

She opens the first picture, leaping straight off the cliff that overlooked her safety.

It's a picture of a group of trolls on Grand's ship, not particularly clear nor ambitious regarding her target. It could have been anyone.

"When I first got here, I was really very careful. Studious, too. The whole thing was something petty I was doing to make myself feel better; he was the butt of a private joke, and that's all it really was."

The next picture is more clearly of Prediger, but still taken from pretty far away. He's not even doing his job, it's just a crowded area he happened to be in.

"I didn't even think to start taking pictures until a bit later-- I only sent him my favorites, just this light."

She's swiping without lingering too long on each image, trying not to talk like she's in too much of a hurry, but it's hard to control the pacing when she's falling equipped with such a fragile parachute. The next picture is of Prediger mostly alone, then closer, then while he's clearly busy, and then they become condescending. She starts starring in the photos, pretending to pinch his coat when he walks, putting weird stuff in front of his mouth when he yawns, and being a generally disrespectful nuisance. There's a lot of photos, based on the sea of thumbnails from before... and each one she's shown him seem to be from different times, different dates.

"He never caught me," smugness lives in the words, satisfaction in the power of the deed mingling with this... pressure to fill Grand in, to mitigate the harm, "it started to be like, 'what will it take before he notices?', but he never did, it kept getting bigger and the ramifications less pleasant, and..."

It's a lot of talking all at once, after sitting in such silence. Saness abruptly slows back down, lowering her palmhusk to her lap. She looks at the window before them, expressionless and mild.

"I came here tolight to say farewell to this place. I would've liked to hear the calliope in person though."

capriciousTenament

The Grand watches. Taking in each photo with keen eyes. Prediger. She had a grudge against Prediger.

He's entirely silent, as she shows him her crimes. As she shows him that she's been sneaking around the church, managing to take pictures of one of his top ranking clergenerals without his knowledge. His face has gone stony, and the color of his eyes has just begun to deepen toward red when the phone finally falls.

The pieces have clicked. No wonder he didn't recognize her. He's still looking at her with just-tinged-orange eyes as she stares at the stained glass in front of them both.

In contrast to his obviously rising anger, his signing is still as fluid and calm as before.

{thank you for mitigating. i'd like ta ask a few more questions somewhere a little more private, if that's alright.}

chimericArchitect

Her focus is drawn to his face, looking between his dangerous eyes and his words, blinking slowly.

What kind of response is that?

...This Grand really isn't like anyone else she knows. She doesn't know him at all.

Saness doesn't sign in response, nor does she speak. She merely nods her unblinking acquiescence, just once, and her phone disappears back into her sylladex. There's really nothing to it.

capriciousTenament

He nods at her, and offers a hand out towards one of the doors of the cathedral.

...Right as the main door is pushed open and a greasy troll, still purple in the ears with his anger, comes skidding in.

"sir, there has been an incident-"

..............The Grand takes one look at his face and cannot hold back the slowly rising laughter.

{this incident?} He signs, and gestures toward Saness with a grin on his face.

chimericArchitect

Just about to hop off the chair and head in the direction Grand indicated, Saness flinches when the great double doors are thrown open behind her, the urgency of the voice--

Prediger.

She looks over her shoulder at the same time that Grand turns, the alarm in her eyes already dialed back to smug disgust by time she sees the color in his ears. Look at him, skidding in on his shoes in such a tizzy, clammed up in such apparent shock and fury... Good.

She turns fully around atop the throne, swinging her legs up over the side to properly face Prediger while Grand laughs, introduced as his little pet incident. Her eyes narrow at Prediger in grim satisfaction. 'The Incident' is a really cool title.

"Bitch."

capriciousTenament

The Grand's laughter only gets harder at her single word. He is a bitch sometimes, isn't he? Prediger's ears turn a darker color and he raises a lip to snarl at her from a little ways down the pews.

The Grand gives him a glare through his laughter, and the snarl fades quickly.

{she has turned herself in. i assume you have a questioning room ready for us. we will be having a talk later, prediger.}

Her victory is absolute. Prediger's ears fall and he takes a step back from the admonishment from his superior. A long moment of silence, as the Grand snickers, before the grumpy man turns on his heels and begins to march toward the door the Grand had already motioned her towards.

chimericArchitect

'Turned herself in'? Is that what it seems like she's done? Although, it doesn't really matter, she supposes. Either that's really what the Grand sees here, or that's what he's telling to Prediger. If anyone is being manipulated here, it's not in a way that is a cause of concern for Saness... Seeing Prediger cowed by the biggest boss in the church there is - on her behalf no less - is pretty fucking sweet, especially when the situation is still like, ninety-percent under control.

More concerning than her safety is the sound of Grand's voice. His laughter is coarse and wispy even in its harshness and power, same as that baritone hum from before... It's all rough from disuse. Or maybe he needs a drink. And a silly straw.

She watches Prediger retreat with narrowed eyes and a very satisfied set to her lips. Once he has gone on ahead and the door has closed behind him, she hops down proper and waits for Grand's snickering to subside. Already she misses being able to look at him from up high, and up close. Quite the specimen, when wearing amusement...

She straightens her top, business-y.

"Will Prediger be joining us?"

capriciousTenament

It takes a minute for the snickering to stop, after the doors slam behind Prediger. It builds to a soft crescendo, and then peters out as he wipes tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes. A roll of his shoulders and he watches her get down. She's so small, really. Easy not to notice. He certainly hadn't figured there was anything wrong, which...

Hm. Perhaps he needs more security training. Perhaps they need better measures in general.

{i think for now that we should keep this between us, least until i know the situation a little better. it's still a pretty high clearance topic, people from elsewhere.}

A gesture toward the door again. Looks like he expects her to walk first.

chimericArchitect

"Sure."

She doesn't really extrapolate further before leading the way, though inwardly, it is quite a relief not to be stuck in a small room with Prediger just yet. His pride must be in such burning shambles.

"Oh, uh-" They only make it halfway across the room before Saness is looking up and back over her shoulder to Grand. "Tap me if you need my attention, okay? Otherwise, I won't be able to hear you." A meaningful claw tapped against the side of her skull, to be more specific, and then she just keeps moving, heading straight for the door with her hands in her pockets.

capriciousTenament

...His eyes narrow a little, a question behind his expression at her assertion that she wouldn't be able to hear his voodoo. But he nods, and continues along the way. A small walk down the hallway, and then he eventually stops and opens a door to gesture her inward.

There's a table and two chairs, the table bolted to the floor. It's as bloody as the rest of the church in here, though the smell is sharper. Probably fresher. There is a layer of violet on the wall that doesn't look entirely dry yet. He gestures to one of the chairs, and takes the other himself, sitting with a slow, tired sigh.

{you're from another universe, then?} He starts, once she's sitting down.

chimericArchitect

Ew, yucky. This room is Extra yucky. She knows what all this violet is from, and she doesn't like it... This is what a "ready" room looks like, huh? Guess Grand really DOES think she's turned herself in...

She makes her way around the table at a more measured pace than she'd used in the throne and in the hall, genuinely discomforted by the fresh blood. It's harder to draw her thoughts away from it when it shines, when it smells with such tang. Still, she takes her assigned seat, criss-cross upon it as she had been in Grand's cushioned seat before, looking up to him in much the same way. The gulf of the table between them feels infinite.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry for keeping you up about it."

capriciousTenament

It's certainly a difference. The throne room smelled of blood, but it's also so much bigger. So much easier to ignore the fresher spots that happen, when they do. This room is small and oppressive, the Grand looks so Big in this room.

He folds his hands in front of him. His eyes have faded back to yellow, after his laughter before, though he does seem... Perhaps worried? Distracted, at the very least. Agitated.

{i would have been woken for this anyway. you came to humiliate prediger, you've said as much. how did you get here?}

chimericArchitect

Ouch. When he puts it so bluntly, it sort of takes some of the zest out of her win.

The question though, it confuses Saness somewhat. How do people get anywhere? It's not like she walked onto his ship. It's always either tech, or it's magic, and she hasn't seen much magic in this place. She assumes it must be a posterity question then, and dutifully fills her part of the form.

"I arrived via transportalizer. Or more accurately, by sendificator, though they are often colloquially referred to as transportalizers regardless."

She visibly resists the urge to ask him a question, resigned to merely watching him with her immense and unreasonable focus.

capriciousTenament

Something twitches in his face at her answer. That’s not quite what he was getting at.

{right. but how did you get our coordinates? i gave explicit instructions that those were not to be motherfuckin shared. that's what's scarin me right now, sis. a prank is one thing, but with the apparently dire motherfuckin lack in our security...}

He glances once at the camera watching them, then back at her.

chimericArchitect

What he wants clicks for her at the elaboration, the inclusion of his admitted fear granting her a personal sense of urgency. Saness quickly pulls out her phone, points at and turns the screen toward him. She'd clicked on the tumblr app, but predictably, it shows a loading error, the little circle spinning uselessly away without a connection. The color scheme should be recognizable enough.

"It's a ping-and-response system, something you could use from and on any active data connection. In this case, I used an ongoing communication from the tumblr messaging system to receive a set of coordinates." She pulls her device back toward her person and pokes at the screen a little, finally looking away from Grand so she can fuss with something therein. "This is super easy to fix, and can be done with little more than a location scrambler, which would work by sending back completely random coordinates when pinged."

capriciousTenament

He listens with more comprehension than someone might expect from a big old clown like him. He may not be up to date on his memes, but he knows enough technology that her words make him sigh softly in comprehension, and his shoulders droop just a little from their tense position.

{that somethin most people on that fuckin hellsite are able ta do? i know we scramble our location for local transportalizer connections but i aint never heard of it gettin stripped from a fuckin messenger before.}

chimericArchitect

Watching his shoulders droop from the edge of her vision draws Saness back up and out of her device, slowing her down closer to the pace she'd been when they were alone in the fractured light. The way she looks at him is curious and lingering. Yet another surprise... Nothing like her Aeshma at all. Then again, Ringleader is much older, and from a vastly different circumstance.

"...I wouldn't say "most" people, but it's a percentage high enough to be both a risk and a consistent annoyance." A click and her screen turns off, palmhusk left on the table as she lowers her legs and scoots the chair closer. They dangle quite comically where no one can see them. "It's... interesting, that the local interference is strong enough to knock out my connection to the servers in the Furthest Ring. You're definitely starting from a place that's pretty easy to bolster, technologically speaking."

capriciousTenament

He nods at her, his fingers steepling a little as he thinks about everything. Risk and consistent annoyance in-motherfuckin-deed. But... It does mean that no one on his ship was the slip up. Not a leak, just an oversight. That's at least somewhat relaxing to think about.

He has to wonder if she's the first, or even the only one who has been here.

{i have a very skilled team of technincisions and coderadicators. apparently even the best ain't fully equipped ta deal with the multiverse at large though. i'll be briefin them. you said it was a simple fix with a scrambler?}

chimericArchitect

"Yes." She nods as she says it, injecting the simple affirmation with sincerity and confidence. "That alone would be enough to keep out all but the most competent, or those with magical ability."

capriciousTenament

He gets a sour look. Grumbles something about magic under his breath.

{guess we need ta figure that out, then.}

chimericArchitect

"It's... There's... magic tech, but, it's a lot harder to vet something you don't understand, or couldn't replicate..."

She twists at one of the rings on her fingers, thoughts on Velius.

"A non-magical person utilizing an item crafted by someone with magic... requires a different sort of faith."

Then abruptly, she shrugs.

"Or maybe just some recklessness. We employ a type of magic shield around important areas in our timeline, so people can't just let themselves in willy-nilly. There are lots of artificers for hire out there."

capriciousTenament

He seems to genuinely think about that for some time. Magic shielding, huh... That would certainly be something. Imagine, being able to keep out the Demoness, or fucking with Fishbitch's powers while she's visiting. Recklessness, though, doesn't really sound like his style.

Magic tech is genuinely frightening to think about.

{i don't know that i'd trust someone from outside my flock not ta give themselves a back door into whatever defenses they put up.}

chimericArchitect

"Mhm..."

Saness folds her arms on the table and rests her head there, short enough to make it easy. She's staring at his fingers.

"It's not an easy urge to resist. Mitigation isn't the same as prevention, but... there are ways."

capriciousTenament

His fingers fidget, as she watches. When he's nervous, apparently, since they were very still before. Little twitches like he's puppeting unseen strings to somewhere.

{how long have you been around?}

chimericArchitect

"A few months now. Four, if my memory fails me not. I believe the exact date was... in May."

She wonders if he is aware of his little quirks and is comfortable with them, or if...

...Eh. It doesn't matter. She kind of wishes there were little threads though, and that she could put some gentle resistance in them. It could be a cute game, and potentially very calming.

capriciousTenament

Right when the first investigation was going on. Was that what offended her so much? It must have been. His fingers keep up their little dance in the air.

{can i ask what prediger did that so offended you ta go to these lengths for a prank against him?}

chimericArchitect

Mmmnnh... mnnghg... What should she say? He's asking so nicely, and it makes her feel kind of bad... What she did is objectively not a Good Thing, but *they* definitely started it...

Her cheeks squish unhappily into her arm like a little pudding or a slime, a line of tension in the paint between her brows. A steep inhale through her nostrils, exhaled just as sharply.

"We were invaded. A lone troll, but an uninvited visitor nonetheless, snooping in on something given freely to another. There was no attempt at a good-faith request, despite proven lack of hostilities, and in fact, a willingness to be on good terms. He was pushy, and insistent, and would not speak plainly no matter how much I tried to volunteer to him, but I took it in stride. I chose to tolerate his behavior and give him a tour, bring him into our home, because I understand the concern that spurred the visit, the threat you are facing, the steep cost that comes from lack of knowledge, and furthermore I understood that this was far beyond the normal scope of diplomatic experience he could be expected to have. I exercised my patience to its fullest, because when family is out of their depth, we guide them."

Don't be angry. Don't be angry. Let the emotions pass over and through you. (Her claws drum once upon her arm. She could see in Prediger's flat and lifeless eyes how little he cared for her family, how disgusting her beloved were to him. And then she read exactly what he’d thought in that lowly report.)

"In a continued gesture of goodwill, I reached out to continue communications some time after he left, and to offer my aid. After a few lights passed without a word, I requested permission to visit, under terms set by you and yours. That request was denied. All requests to know more about your assessment and further intentions were denied."

She takes another little breath, this time more audibly exhaling it with a hum. Her eyes flick up from Grand's hands to his face, though the flintiness within them is not directed at him so pointedly. Saness reasons that it's possible her personal requests never made it to the very top.

There is more she would say, but she's courteous enough to give Grand a chance to process what she's saying before pressing on.

capriciousTenament

There is certainly emotion there. A furrowing of his brow, his fingers twitching against his invisible controls. He listens without interrupting, patient at least enough for this.

His eyes remain as yellow as ever, though. Despite the twist of distaste on his lips, he still doesn't look angry. Worried, yes. Fretting for the sanctity of his church, his flock. But something about the way she says invaded grips at something in his pusher.

{there is a reason he's a high investigaterror and not in the motherfuckin pr department. i never wanted him to be pushy or rude to you and yours, but i did want answers. suppose things slipped cause i was havin a rough time of figurin out the multiverse and my place in it. i put him in charge of multiversal security, which is why you were denied so often.}

His fingers stay in the air, dancing for a moment to bridge the gap between one set of thoughts and the next.

{my messiahs were very clear that we weren't to allow outside influence on our church.}

chimericArchitect

For being the head of multiverse security, Prediger sure is a fucking hack. But...

Hm. Just how much of this good grace is Grand willing to give her? Saness studies him from her low angle, some of the resonant sharpness cooling from her features as the seconds pass under the pressure of his level-headedness. He looks... worried. Unhappy. But not angry. That feels important, somehow.

Still watching his eyes, she uncrosses the pillow of her arms and lays them across the table toward him, moving to rest her cheek on a bicep. It's clear she isn't reaching toward him so much as taking up space in the grey area between them. She drifts back to watching his twitching fingers. At first it had seemed erratic, how he moved in his distress, but the longer she watches the more it feels like it has a rhythm to it. ‘His place in the multiverse’ stands out.

She still has a LOT to say about Prediger, and a lot more to tell Grand, but...

"...Your family will be safer with your help. If something goes wrong, your gods will tell you how to fix it. Their design is much larger than I am." Gentle eyes flick once more up to his face, and then back down. "...If that is any comfort."

capriciousTenament

There is a sigh, at her words, and a nod. The barest hint of a smile before it retreats again.

{i know they will guide me through any adversity and i know that they are more powerful than any interloper from beyond. it is a comfort indeed to have my gods at my side. i worry, however, when they give me such clear instructions and there is something i cannot follow.}

He shakes his head, waves his hands as though he's brushing his own words aside. He's too talkative, she got him in a... Mood.

{i will be rethinking our approach to outside visitors. you are dangerous, seein how well you hide yourself amongst my own. perhaps allowing smaller visits will save us from not knowing who could be here.}

chimericArchitect

Oh. He called her dangerous. And gave her a compliment pertaining to her competence. How distinctly unusual. It centers this feeling in her chest that she can't quite place, but she realizes that it's a pleasant thing. Maybe something like surprise, but also, pride? She's... technically being rewarded for what she's done too, isn't she? Allowing smaller visits, a means of more mitigation of harm... It feels like another win. They're really hitting it off. Part of her wants to thank him for his generosity, but she knows he's making the most practical choice he can anyway.

Besides, it's not really a decision, it's just a bit of rethinking and revision, but it doesn't matter too much how concrete it is, because he'd smiled at her. It perks her up and waters the tendrils of optimism she keeps in a pot.

He is like a shiny marble to her. "Would it be out of turn to offer my opinions or advice on any given thing or situation?"

capriciousTenament

{i would listen. i was going ta ask if you'd mayhaps help with our security here. i don't know the ins and outs of the motherfuckin multiverse yet but you seem well informed.}

His fingers are starting to settle a little. He's focusing in on solutions now, which calms his pan quite a bit.

chimericArchitect

"Really?" She sits up, arms drawn back like spaghetti on the fork of surprise. "I would help you. Absolutely."

The words are shocked out of her mouth before she's really had time to think about them. These guys are oldschool Alternians. They kill people, they've got gnarky rules about it and everything... But this troll right here, and a few of the trolls she's met in the past few months... She'd like an excuse to continue seeing them.

Plus this Grand makes her sad, and she'd like to help him patch up a bit.

capriciousTenament

A little snort of surprise at her sudden willingness. She gets another of his little stitch-stretching smiles and his fingers go still for a moment as he has to stop and chuckle.

{i think havin you on the team would put salt in the wound for motherfuckin prediger too}

chimericArchitect

Mentioning Prediger again isn't enough to sour her mood; Saness beams up at Grand and rolls her shoulder.

"Good. He can take notes, and maybe when he licks his wounds and tastes the salt the lesson will stick with him."

capriciousTenament

{let's fuckin hope it does. it's been a while since he was knocked down a peg and he needs ta feel humble now and then. everything you do as a security advisor is of course going ta be triple, quadruple checked by my coderadicators and technincisions but i am not so high and mighty ta think i can handle every problem mineself when i ain't got the scope of it in general.}

A slow sigh, his smile fading again.

{...i do have ta ask if the prank's really the only thing you came ta do.}

chimericArchitect

She nods along, making small gestures with her hands that wordlessly speak to her agreement. Naturally, mhm, of course they should triple and quintuple check, it's the correct thing to do. Yeah, yep, mhm, that's all hunky-dory... It seems to hold her attention then, when he sighs, the smile on her face following the shifts in his mood as though they were her own.

She continues looking at him for a moment, easing back the rest of the way into respectful seriousness.

"Technically no sir, though ruining Prediger's night is the reason that I stayed. The initial purpose of my visit was to follow up on that report he'd made. I had to make absolutely certain that my family was safe, given how... obvious his disdain was..."

Her focus goes faraway for only a few ticks on the clock - thinking about the opinions in Prediger's shitty report - before she resumes her earnest attention.

"...Then I got so mad about what he said in it and how he'd spurned our hospitality that I decided to fuck with him, and here we are."

capriciousTenament

He listens and nods when appropriate. Keeping family safe isn't a bad thing, certainly. He really shouldn't have put such an asshat in charge of outer security.

{for the motherfuckin record, i intend ta stay well out of any business that doesn't come into our universe. i ain't planning on tryin ta enforce anythin outside my own damn scope of things. it would be a fool's errand anyways.}

He hums after a moment. {having you here, however, is gonna be problematic. you've already proved your competence at getting around our security.}

chimericArchitect

She thinks she really believes him, now. Before it was just words, but after seeing Grand handle very serious problems in real-time - catching and rolling around each electrified bombshell with grace beyond any other she’s known - there’s no doubting the reality of his sentiment.

"I'm not sure how to help with that one." But his reassurance regarding his intentions means she feels willing and obligated to think up and offer suggestions regarding how to make her own on-the-clock containment work. "You could have somebody grubsit me every hour that I'm here - which is what I would do in your position - but the utility is lessened when the observer doesn't understand everything I can do. Literal handcuffs... are also not very useful. Um."

Gee, when did this become difficult? She's checking more things off her mental list of options than onto it. Shock collars might work at controlling her, but she would be hard-pressed to suggest it.

"...I am drawing a smidge of a blank," she says with a soft bit of sheepishness. It is apologetic. "Did you... have something in mind? I could tell you if it would work or not, at least. Unless you're saying I ought to leave, and only assist you remotely."

Though that's basically the same as trusting her to run shop unsupervised, in her personal opinion.

capriciousTenament

{you'll be under lock and key at the very motherfuckin least. someone grubsittin ain't a bad idea, just someone smarter than me or prediger. one of our top technincisions probably, ta keep an eye on whatever the fuck you're doin.}

His fingers are plucking slowly at the strings again. Thinking, mulling it over. {i'll have ta keep the lockdown up until you're done and gone. if you can get in so easy i won't put it past anyone motherfuckin else.}

chimericArchitect

Her mouth opens. Then closes. She is visibly reasoning over this new information, though this time equipped with a creeping look of consternation.

"...You would like for me to stay here continuously until you and your team are satisfied with the state of your security?"

...Optimistically, it could mean that he'll only open it for strictly monitored moments of passage, once the base fixes are implemented... but this time, she's not so confident in the placement of her optimism.

capriciousTenament

He quirks a brow. Had that not been obvious?

{would you let someone with as much information as you have leave before you know you can keep them out later? even if you ain't got no ill will, i can't speak for the rest of your church.}

chimericArchitect

"Well, the thing is, if I'm going to be staying somewhere for an extended period of time and I don't even tell anybody, then that would mean I've gone missing." She says it gingerly, pausing slightly. "It's... a bigger deal, where I'm from."

She's calculating as hard as she's ever calculated; isn't it obvious that keeping her prisoner could provoke hostilities he's not equipped to counter? There's got to be... some kind of compromise she can offer. Something.

capriciousTenament

His face twists a little. She must have quads or something, then. That's worrying. If they can do what she can do, then they would be in danger either way.

He thinks for a moment, his gaze traveling off to the side for a moment. Not dismissively, just... Thinking.

{perhaps if you let others know that you'll be staying a little while. i will give my word that you will not be harmed while you are here assisting us.}

chimericArchitect

Another pause, and then Saness slowly chooses to ease. Gives him a nod. It seems that he has understood... Will her own kin be so understanding?

"A message should suffice... I should be okay to be 'missing' for a light or two, long enough to get the coordinate scrambler set up. Somebody else could type the missive on my behalf too, to ensure I don't send anything you don't want sent while the blockade is down."

She needs... to think a little more, about his word.

capriciousTenament

{i do not mind sending word. preemptive measures are still measures, enough that our coordinates cannot be stripped from communication again until i can make even more efforts toward protecting my flock.}

He seems to be relaxing as well. Is he afraid of her? Or perhaps just afraid of what might come for her.

chimericArchitect

There's something funny about seeing the tension sloop out of Grand again. It makes her introspective.

"Tolight has been ex-hausting, haha. We're a bit like a pair of silly yo-yos."

She smiles at him, wearily but warmly, and twiddles her thumbs.

capriciousTenament

{bobbin up and down on our strings, yeah.} A soft snort of amusement from him.

{...if i send a message, people will get our coordinates from it then?}

chimericArchitect

She makes a low uncertain sound in her throat and wobbles a hand so-so.

"No, not 'will,' but surely 'could.' Only if they were prepared and actively ready to ping them, though." Like she was. A premeditated deed. "Messages are very short bursts of connectivity, unlike streaming and calls. Even if the recipient were prepared to rip your coordinate - by some unnatural chance - you could prevent them from appearing on the ship by moving it while sending. Although, that wouldn't prevent them from coming into your universe with the stale coordinates," she muses.

"...I wouldn't say it's very likely, but we could still wait until the scrambler is installed before sending anything. It shouldn't take dangerously long to do so."

Her spade is gonna be so pissed.

capriciousTenament

He thinks on it. What's more dangerous? Someone knowing he has her here while they're still getting coordinates set up but knowing she's safe, or someone trying to find her? The first, of course, runs the risk of someone grabbing coordinates immediately and coming in to save her, and he doesn't necessarily trust that his word is going to be good for much to an outside church. On the other hand, if she goes entirely missing he could be facing a lot more hostility from whoever it is that tries to find her.

It's a tough decision. He hasn't had to make a lot of those in recent sweeps. He almost wishes he could take a moment to pray about it, but his messiahs seldom give him quick answers. He has to figure this one out on his own.

{i think one message is fine. long as we're moving. i don't want any motherfuckers coming aboard mine ship with my flock guns blazing.}

chimericArchitect

Now that he mentions it, Saness feels quite strongly the same. They don't need that sort of... bloody violence between them. Somebody would definitely get hurt.

"Then..."

She hesitates before Grand's eyes, but seems to make up her mind and wiggles out of her seat. Standing there uncertainly, she looks like she's awaiting permission to approach.

capriciousTenament

He raises an eyebrow at her, but inclines his head in what looks like permission to do what she's planning on doing. He's curious enough to allow it.

chimericArchitect

She walks up to his side and fiddles with something on her wrist. It looks like she has to disengage a little mechanism in order for the plain metal band to be able to slip off her arm, but once she gets it off, she holds it up to him flat on her palm.

"That's my transportalizer."

The sober way she says it carries more meaning than he could hope to soak in, but the weight of her gaze helps to bridge the gap of understanding.

capriciousTenament

...His one eyebrow that is up is joined by the other. An expression of surprise and deep understanding. He reaches out, and takes it carefully from her, examining it for a long moment. It doesn't look all that much like tech, but he wants to have one of his own examine it. Would that be rude? Probably.

Still, he has it in his hand now. Such a tiny little thing to have caused so many problems. It gets placed not in his sylladex, but gently onto the table so that he can sign.

{that's a lot more trust than i'd have expected from you. thank you. if it's not disassembled or harmed in any way, may i have permission to have one of my techs look into the design? that's beyond what we have here, i think.}

chimericArchitect

The ultimate in stealth tech, the pinnacle of simplistic design; in all appearances it truly is a simple metal band. On the inside is a little symbol, an etching of the Sign of the Sculptor's Tools - perhaps a maker's mark? - but nothing else, no indicator that this item is anything other than jewelry. It doesn't weigh particularly much either.

She watches her prized possession pass peacefully through Grand's claws, appreciating the care he takes with it. It's novel to give her bracer away, rather than having it taken from her... She likes the look on his face too, the sincerity imbued in each ginger movement of his hands when he signs.

"I don't mind. It has a psi-lock so the interface won't be interactive except on me, but you should be able to take signal and power readings. Definitely do not disassemble it though, as the power source inside is very compressed. It could vaporize us."

She doesn't move from his side, just kind of vibing at his hip like a very dangerous-yet-comfortable fern. He is so unusual, a marble and a shiny penny and a flicker of light in the distance. Her trust... She wonders what he will do with it. Grand has made a very good first impression, but that alone would not warrant this sort of reckless risk-taking; it must be her curiosity that is spurring her on.

"If we can consider ourselves to be something akin to allies by the end of this, I even wouldn't mind gifting you one."

capriciousTenament

Allies. There's something heartwarming about that. It also needles a little bit at the very, very paranoid part of his pan. What would she want from him, in return? She's certainly showing a lot of trust, but with this little piece of tech as stealthy as it is, perhaps she just has a backup. He certainly wouldn't travel without one. Somehow, it's hard not to take this at least somewhat at face value though.

Maybe it's the quiet. His pan feels settled, and there are no godly whispers running through it. At least, not right now.

{i'll be careful. wouldn't mind havin one of mine own, or maybe even some schematics so i can have my most trusted able ta appear at my side at any moment. you wanna send that message real quick so we can get some rest and get started in the evenin on beefin up our security? i'll get best brother tohomo ta come up and grubsit ya on the morrow.}

chimericArchitect

On cue, the purpleblood at his hip yawns, rubbing the heel of her palm carefully against her eye while nodding. Grand's paranoia is lost on Saness, for now.

"Yes please. How would you like to do this?"

capriciousTenament

{i have a few secure guest rooms. we'll get you set up somewhere comfy. security is gonna want your dex.}

He pulls out his phone. Time to make some arrangements.

chimericArchitect

Saness shifts to rubbing her arm, looking down and away with an unhappy expression. She doesn't really want to give up her actual sylladex... but if she doesn't and they find out she was keeping it without their awareness, it would erode the trust she's putting so much into.

She'll have to think on it, but quickly. The decision will have to be made as soon as security arrives. For now she does not respond, merely waiting.

capriciousTenament

Her bracer is still right there on the table. She could still grab it, use her backdoor, and leave. It wouldn't be hard. But the Grand is tip tapping on his phone. Calm and collected and strangely trusting.

He puts his phone down after a moment and leans back in his chair. Runs his hand over his hair a little. It's so very tangled, he doesn't even put his fingers into the curls, just skims them over the fluff habitually.

{helluva mornin.}

chimericArchitect

"You could say that."

Grrmph. Watching him pat through his hair so calm and easy, not even bothering to look at her when she's close enough to attack him... it doesn't feel like he would hurt her. If he was going to freak out about anything she'd done, it definitely would have happened already. Besides, Grand seems... fragile. …When she thinks about… her goals rather than her safety, what she should do feels a little more obvious.

...Look at him. This guy pulled a silver bike horn on her earlier, and she can see that in him.

With a resigned sigh she pivots on her heel and leans against the table to face him, crossing her arms comfy-like.

"Can my sylladex go in a locker or something? Some of that stuff is personal, I don't want just any loser named 'Hardnuts' or 'Blowwank' digging through my stuff just because they have a degree in turning on lightbulbs."

capriciousTenament

Snort. It turns into one of his low chuckles, complete with the smile that tugs on his stitching. Fucking Blowwank that's amazing.

{yeah, i'll have it set aside. we ain't gonna loot through your shit.}

Stifling giggles, though it's going to take him a minute, he also adds {his title's the resolute but go off sister}

chimericArchitect

Saness tries to resist the coming smile for just a moment, but his laughter coaxes her into reluctant amusement. It's very charming when he giggles like that, so she can't really fight it. Saness eventually laughs along, rubbing the back of her head as though mildly chided.

"Resolute? That's a strong title. I'll try to remember it."

Maybe she's just tired from all the rampant excitement, but here in this violet-stained interrogation block, it seems that talking with this troll puts her at ease. He's literally so weird.

capriciousTenament

{brother tohomo works just as well, he ain't fussed about people usin the proper one.} He shakes his head a bit. {aight. message time. who you wanna contact and whatcha wanna say?}

Somewhere outside, Prediger is seething as he watches on camera this... This limeblood getting so chummy with the Grand. How does she look like that? It's some kind of trickery, but the Grand has touched her by now and he'd certainly notice if she were the wrong temperature. A security detail is clearing up one of the highblooded guest rooms that they use for naval officers. Threats to the church can come from anywhere, after all, and every guest room has very tight security.

chimericArchitect

"Well, um... Let me think for a second." She thinks for literally a second. "Are you messaging someone with your account, or do you want to use my device for a moment? Because that changes the answer."

capriciousTenament

{i ain't messaged anyone about you yet. just been alertin my security team ta some necessary setup and gettin things figured about where you're stayin and shit.}

chimericArchitect

"And when we send the message saying that I'm staying here, will we be using your account or my account to do it?"

capriciousTenament

{i'd assumed yours. which do you think is better, and will make your own church panic less?}

Look at him, already asking her for advice.

chimericArchitect

"Mine, probably. The content of the message matters more though."

If she messages anyone other than Ringleader...

Well. Ringleader certainly might not appreciate it. But can she afford to be tied to him so closely?

"I think we should message Ringleader. He is conveniently on tumblr, and head of my church, after all. Anyone who needed to know would know."

capriciousTenament

{aight. you compose the message and i'll look it over before ya hit send, if you don't mind.}

chimericArchitect

Blink. That is a liberty she had not expected to be permitted.

"Gladly."

Out comes the same unusual palmhusk as before, a flat little thing with a fruity case and a jingly dangly charm on it, and Saness begins typing.

…What should she say, exactly? It’s like she can see a waterfall and instead of staying in the shallows, the lure of the fall has kept her walking forward. Ringleader wouldn’t like that.

> ‘Hi Ringleader! I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be out for a while, and I won't have a signal while I'm gone. It's going to take at least a couple of nights to get back, that's my guess. The short of it is that I broke something important and I have to stay where I am until I can fix it, but I'll try to see about checking in again if it seems like the fix will take longer than I've estimated.

> I would prefer not to cause a big fuss, so pretty please exercise your best judgment when choosing who to tell, but if you could pass this message along to anybody who might be worried I would super appreciate it. I AM safe, it's just kind of a big slow pain in the tuchas.’

The urge to say 'I love you' is suddenly eating her alive, the realization that she won't even get to read a response or look at pictures of him and her friends on her device finally setting in. It is a hollowing feeling.

> ‘Ask my spade not to kill me when I get back. ♤’

Her fingers hover over the screen, eyes beginning to sting. Why does typing that make her start to tear up? This SUCKS, she's such a weenie.

"Um-" Her voice wibbles, but she valiantly pushes through. "Does this look okay?"

Saness turns the screen around to face Grand, holding it up for him to read without raising her head more than to his ribcage, shielding her face the smallest amount. Maybe she SHOULD just snatch her bracer and be done with it. This is utter indulgent foolishness, welcoming this sort of discomfort for a gleaming pebble of curiosity.

capriciousTenament

.......He reads it, and then his brow furrows a little. Slowly, but furrow it does.

{why ain't you tellin the motherfucker where you are? it's fuckin safer for you that way if they know whose ass ta blame if you're gone longer than expected. will him knowin bring about harm ta my church?}

He doesn't even mind Ringleader that much. They have much different ideas of what church and messiahs are, but... As long as it stays on that side of the universal divide...

chimericArchitect

"Uhm..." She pulls her phone back down with the sound of a lonely jingle and dabs at her eyes with the edge of her sleeve. "I dunno. Do you want them to know? I... don't know how to phrase it, without it sounding super ominous and stressful."

Her fingers are waiting over the keys again. She's not looking up at Grand's ribcage anymore, and therefore won't be able to see his reply, despite asking him a question.

"I don't want to worry anybody excessively, or accidentally instigate something unpleasant. Plus... you gave your word, and for me-" A small breath. "...I'm willing to see what that's worth."

capriciousTenament

...He's given her some trust, and she's returning it with more than he could have asked for. Once again, the paranoid part of him is screaming that something must be wrong, but.

Fuck, it feels so genuine. Those are tears in her eyes. It's hard to see a little sister in paint crying and not want to offer at least some reassurance.

He will put his hands down, into her field of view, and sign out {you can send what you have then, if you think it's best. wanna finish off that prank real good while you're at it?}

Humor always helps him, maybe it will help her.

chimericArchitect

Hands held low, in her line of sight. Hands saying something strange.

"Hm?"

Grand confuses her into looking up again. He was right about the tears, but it's clear that she is making a studied effort to control it; wet lashes and glassy eyes, but her paint remains intact.

capriciousTenament

He's smiling a little, now, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes with the weight of trust and truth she's put on him this morning.

{why don't ya post one of your best pics of prediger on tumblr? he ain't shown his face on there so it'll still be a mystery where ya are but at least they'll know you're among church.}

{plus it'll be funny as shit.}

chimericArchitect

Oh. He genuinely wants to cheer her up, huh. That smile on his face looks very worn, like an article of clothing with a bright pattern on it. In the same situation, she expects her spade would have become bored or mean by now.

She thinks again that this troll must be very kind. In a bit of a shy gesture, the middle knuckles of Saness's free hand come to rest lightly on her lower lip as she looks up to the camera in the room. It serves to demurely accent the faint smile that forms there. Grand must be very upset with Prediger if he's being used as bait to soothe her ickle weener feelings; permission to post Prediger's miserable visage is too good an opportunity to pass up, even if it's very mean.

"That's very funny... I appreciate it. I think it could serve to pad out my message with some harmless context too, like you said."

Saying it out loud does take some of the ache out of her vague message. Among church, taking funny selfies with a rat bastard. She thinks she knows which one to post. It's a surprisingly easy choice, given the number of photos at her disposal.

capriciousTenament

His smile is brighter and more mischievous at her acceptance. He does this little curtsey bow thing, with a flourish at her phone. Go ahead, little sister, post away, it seems to say.

Somewhere, in the security room, Prediger punches a fucking wall. One of the other trolls on the security team lifts the connection lockdown for just a moment.

chimericArchitect

The antics win out a short little laugh, Saness sniffling to regain composure for this remarkably patient clown.

With the blockade oh-so temporarily lifted and the ship slipping along through the stretched light of space, the spy sends one single message to her most dearest beloathed, then posts a compromising shot of her current adversary with the smallest flourish of her own, in keeping with the tone. Take that, you stuffed coat.

"It is finished."

capriciousTenament

{perfect. i'll reblog that later. can i take your shit ta lock it up now? your room is just about ready.}

Indeed, his phone buzzed while she was making the post, and he's checked it a couple more times since. His previous instructions have now been followed. Everything's set up for their newest guest. The lockdown slams back into place, all connection with the outside world quickly revoked.

chimericArchitect

Mnf. The worst part. What will the block be like, she wonders? How much blood, and how fresh?

Yet it is the nonsense things that stick in her craw. Does... Grand have notifications turned on for her blog? Is that Naxmyr's doing? Silly.

There is a trend where Saness goes quiet when she doesn't like something but doesn't want to say so. Locked down and disengaged is one ordinary sylladex, materializing as a scrapbook with itemized 'memories' pasted inside as photos - it’s the fake sylladex she uses to trick people into thinking she's been disarmed, loaded with useful things and nonsense filler she thinks a normal person might carry. Her REAL sylladex feels like it's burning a hole in her pocket by comparison. It's the moment of truth, and Saness only stalls the slightest amount. With a bit more determination mustered into the act, the exhausted little lady uncouples a physical wallet on a chain from a hidden layer in her soft fabric belt and stacks it on top of the colorful book.

She sets it on the table, next to the sad ring of her bracer.

capriciousTenament

He watches her disarm herself, and then reaches forward and picks up both her fake sylladex and her real one, and her transportalizer bracer with the same care he'd given it before. All three get put into his sylladex, in one card. He unslots the card from his dex after a moment of thought and offers it to her.

A bit useless, if she doesn't have a sylladex to keep the card in and uncaptchalogue her things from, but still technically in her possession. The card itself seems like it might have an encryption key of some kind for his dex specifically, but... He didn't even look in them before he passed the items to her.

{thank ya kindly. would you wanna walk with me to your room or do ya mind if security escorts ya?}

chimericArchitect

The card is accepted with no small amount of surprise. They just keep doing that to each other.

"It's um- It's fine either way." She backs up a polite few steps, giving him room to stand. Watches him. Given the choice, she would much prefer to walk with Grand, but she doesn't really want to be too needy, especially not after... all this. They've literally only spoken online in snatches before she confessed to him tonight. It's just that, when he goes, she's... going to be all alone... "Are you... going to go get some sleep?"

capriciousTenament

He stands, then. Stretches a little, his joints popping audibly in his back. Slow rolls of his shoulders, then a big sigh and relax.

{i'll walk you. it's on the way ta my block anyways. and yeah, i'm gonna go get some sleep. i'll make sure it's CLEAR you are ta be allowed to rest as well.}

He turns to walk toward the door, waiting for her to follow.

chimericArchitect

She watches his tummy when he stretches, then treks her eyes up to his forearm and his rolling shoulders. The way the fabric clings and falls on his slender body... it's just the tiniest bit off. She wonders what kind of armor he's wearing, for it to be so subtle. There's a bit of black poking out at his neck, but she can't make out the material from here. Lacking the zest to do much else, Saness merely holds his captcha card tilted against her chest like a clipboard of observations.

When Grand announces that he'll walk with her, Saness perks up; it is visibly obvious on her person, despite her assurance that either option was fine. 'On the way to his block,' he says... Without access to her the constant scroll of information provided by her most modern bracer, she only has her memory to rely on. If she's right about the layout, then that's... where they keep visiting aquatics sent by the Empress, right? She knows the guest blocks are nearly as secure as any cell, but though she hasn't seen them in person, she's sure those have to be some pretty classy digs; the local seadwellers would throw SUCH a fit otherwise. It's probably nicer than the oh-so practical and cost-effective shared bunking she's grown accustomed to at clown mountain, at the very least.

It's a very quick trot to a following position, already very comfortable with his controlled and even-tempered presence. "What's Brother Tohomo like? Is he chatty?"

capriciousTenament

Out of the room with the fresh violet blood. The scent out here is so much less overpowering, the more pleasant scents of sugar and incense much more pronounced outside of that tiny little room. The Grand looks smaller out here too, less looming when the ceiling and walls feel like they were made for his size. It's probably all calculated to make the interrogation rooms feel exceptionally stressful.

He's not even making her walk ahead of him this time. It seems he's become at least somewhat more comfortable with her presence now as well.

{he talks a lot and almost all of it is complaining, so expect one of the bitchiest motherfuckers you've ever had the pleasure of meeting. does damn good work though, even if he complains about every task.}

chimericArchitect

...She didn't realize she'd been getting such a headache until they finally made their way out of that oppressive block. It had never occurred to her that the halls of this ship could be what she would call 'airy' or 'a relief to be in.' What does Grand think of those tiny interrogation spaces? He is not a soft man - and yet, he is. The way he'd spoken of his descendant with such deep and open longing... The light on his face when he wasn't looking at her, same as the way he isn't looking at her now...

How close will her assigned block be to his, she wonders? Maybe she can guess, when she sees where they stop.

"Will all members of my security detail be briefed on the multiverse stuff?"

It would suck if she's not allowed to chit-chat with them to pass the time when she isn't working, given her lack of belongings, freedom, and company.

capriciousTenament

{anyone in close contact with you i intend to explain to. the rumor mill has been quite active anyway, so many of my highest security officers have already been told about the situation and that transportalizer contact is possible.}

It's funny, in many ways, how close the interrogation rooms are to the guest quarters. They really don't like seadwellers here, and it shows in nearly every choice that has been made about this particular part of the ship's design. It's not awfully close to the Grand's room, but when they stop in front of a door it's one of the opulent ones. He opens it for her, and offers her a hand inside.

It's decorated almost entirely in violet, with an enormous plush bed and a door that looks like it leads to a private ablution block. There's not as much blood staining the walls here, except there are framed canvases that are clearly painted in violet blood. Lots of starscape paintings, but not a single window. The security isn't obvious, but she knows it's there.

One of those paintings looks about as fresh as the blood splatters in the other room. It's been varnished, though, so the smell isn't quite as pervasive here.

chimericArchitect

The sight of the freshest macabre canvas gives Saness an unexpected chill. She shivers, and doesn't immediately follow the generously beckoning hand into her new assigned space. It's nothing like her original home, not really, and yet it gives off a similar vibe. The sort of comfortable prison one could lose complete track of time in. No clocks, no windows, and worse - not a single personal trapping to quiet her tumultuous mind... She can only hope that the presence of the bed indicates they are far enough from Gl'bgolyb as to be safe from the daymares.

Reluctant to take the final steps to her self-imposed isolation, Saness looks up at the Grand's face again. More specifically, at the side of his ear. He might be one of the only Grands she knows who isn't a cuspblood, no sign of partial fins decorating his sharp ears... unless he'd had them docked.

"Um..."

If he looks down at his uninvited guest when she requests his attention thusly, he would see how she fidgets with his sylladex card, and the way her brow pinches under the strain of unasked questions. Judging by her expression and the cut of her shoulders, she must be working up the nerve to pose one of them to him before he departs from her side.

capriciousTenament

His ears look smooth and unaltered. They might have a scar or two, but they legitimately have no signs of fin at all. His bodysuit goes up to his jawline, but there probably aren't any gills underneath.

He does look down at her, when she speaks. Watches her expression and watches her building her resolve. He doesn't sign at her, letting her take her time to find the right words.

chimericArchitect

"I'd like to speak with you again, when we're not working. The way we were in the throne room, when it was just the two of us talking about your descendant like friends."

She doesn't look... hopeful, per se. She doesn't seem particularly guarded though, either, nor afraid of his answer once she's put thought to action. The fidgeting has stopped, replaced with the steadfast certainty that must have gotten her through the whole infiltration, eventually bringing her here before him the way they are now.

capriciousTenament

.....She gets one of those softer smiles from him, at her question. It was nice talking to her, despite what she eventually fessed up to. A pleasant little troll all around, even if he's treating her with caution and care. Another conversation, or even a few, seems like it could be restful. Besides, he can’t help the itch of his own curiosity needling at him

{sure. i'll be around while you're workin too, but we can have chats. i don't mind. you have always been pretty damn full of questions and i ain't never minded answering them before.}

A little wink, and he pulls out and wiggles his phone at her.

chimericArchitect

Ah, that's-- Does he remember her name? Either way, he could definitely scroll up and... No wait, did she ever even introduce herself before interrogating him? She fucking didn't, didn't she. Again. Her ears flush a very standard purple when Grand waggles his phone at her. Again, as she had been when Grand got a notification from her blog, Saness is reminded that she's just lucky there hasn't been mention of her blood color in recent time - and that he has seemingly forgotten her relationship to Ringleader, or else the way she'd phrased her message before may have come underneath greater suspicion. Stupid.

"I'll be looking forward to it."

And depending on how it goes, maybe she can convince him to let her wrangle some of those knots out of his mane.

With that very important bit of business concluded, Saness crosses the threshold into her luxurious prison, turning about to face him.

"Goodlight, Brother Makara."

capriciousTenament

He tucks his phone away again once he watches her flush purple. Very funny, honestly. He nods, when she says that she's looking forward to spending time with him.

Brother Makara takes him a little by surprise, but he snorts once.

{good light, sister...}

And only then does he realize he has absolutely no idea what to call her. The blank stare he gives her is indication enough of that. After a moment, he snorts to himself again, and it turns into a chuckle.

chimericArchitect

She lets his ignorance hang in the air for a moment and then laughs abruptly when he chuckles, the first of it coming out in a pinched raspberry between her lips. It's a laugh much fuller than all of her previous giggling, hand held dainty in front of her mouth. He is the butt of a very harmless and nonsensical joke, utter meaningless whimsy inflated by the pressure of the situation.

She laughs for a while before she can really draw herself back to polite calm, but the lopsided smile stays in her eyes. Warmth and fondness radiates easily from her.

"Earlier I thought it would be very funny if I were to take 'Incident' as one of my titles, but you could also call me Sister Psuede, I think."

capriciousTenament

Her laughter spurs on his own. He really doesn't mind being the butt of the joke and laughter catches very easily. They're just going to be like this until they both calm down.

Finally, he shakes his head briefly at her. {goodlight then, sister psuede, little phonygrapher.}

The last word he spells out and then signs as the words phony and photograph together. Apparently, she's earned herself a nickname.

chimericArchitect

She watches him with generically warm curiosity as he finger-spells her name, and then a word she isn't familiar with - but it clicks when he combines two existing signs immediately after. She couldn't have been familiar with the word, because he just made it up! A made-up word, inspired by and for her - a sign-language name! Which is shorthand for a person! It's a nickname!!

Saness signs it back to him immediately, and then again with some truly raw enthusiasm. It's so cute that it's a pun, she could practically do a jig. One thing is abundantly clear to her in this moment: if she gets to spend time with Grand while she's here, she's sure the hours won't be quite so lonely.

Almost as though she had forgotten she was speaking mere seconds ago, Saness signs back to Grand with pronounced cheer, a real ping-pong ball of a person with sylladex card tucked into her armpit.

{I love it!}

capriciousTenament

Her enthusiasm makes him snort. Fucking hell she's charming. There's something deeply disarming about the way she just Does Things.

{aight but for real. have a good light.} A little wave, and one last smile, and he's closing the door to her new opulent room.

chimericArchitect

She doesn't repeat the phrase a fourth time, merely waving goodbye as the door clicks and seals shut between them.

The coming of quiet is immediate and complete. Is that a feature of security she wonders, or is she projecting? The cheer fades like cotton candy in water, little raccoon hands rinsing away the bright spots of happiness in this place. Saness sighs, and doesn't waste any time turning around to go sit on the edge of the bed, the exhaustion coming back in a throbbing rush behind her eyes; ignoring the strain only works with a soaring pusher, not a sinking one.

The bed is quite soft... She flips Grand's captcha card between her fingers, looking at the color scheme front and the back, and at the modus-defining traits printed on it. Encryption. Her fingertips linger over the front of the image before she sets it very gently beside her. All of her things, just out of reach...

Grand was very nice though. She's willing to take a lot of personal risk for that level of kindness. It's all very obviously sincere, too, or she surely wouldn't be sitting somewhere so comfortable. The nickname takes shape between her touch again, smiling softly to herself in the semi-privacy of this heavily monitored space. Under different circumstances, being called a 'phony' anything would not be something she enjoys. Has he decided that what she's done is funny, or is the nickname a more personal thing? He's already given her the impression that he does friendly and encouraging things whenever he thinks one of his family is in the doldrums, and he laughs so easily that it isn't a stretch to believe he would nickname her out of some sort of fondness.

Saness lingers on the edge of the bed, signing a few seemingly random words to herself, but none of them really feel right. Heavenly. Bridge. Sweater. Mop. It's too personal, too impersonal, too serious, too silly - maybe he already has a cute shorthand name anyway. She can ask when she sees him tomorrow.

Tomorrow... seems really far away.

She looks down at her feet dangling off the bed; an easy target for her less-than-positive emotions. She can't even take off her *shoes,* because without a way to edit the photo in the disguise amulet she's wearing, she'd just look like she was wearing a second pair of shoes underneath her first pair, and she'd seemingly SPAWN a pair of shoes, MADE FOR PLANTIGRADE FEET, and security would have QUESTIONS about how she SPAWNED SHOES without a SYLLADEX and why they ARE WRONG, and it would be a DUMB HEADACHE.

A sharp grunt. Rather than dwell on her problems, Saness elects to curl up near the exact center of the bed, holding Grand's captcha card to her chest like a cuddly plush. What a wild twist tolight was. Again and again on this unexpected teacup ride between them. She can figure out the shoe thing tomorrow.

capriciousTenament

The quiet certainly is oppressive. Even the low, constant hum of the engines is somewhat dulled in here, what with all the extra fabric that is present in this space. The bed is very soft, the sheets feel like satin of some kind and the comforter is very thick and looks remarkably warm.

There are lights in here, though they are fairly dim. They're probably on a timer of some kind, and though they are electric the sconces flicker slightly as though they contain little fires. There's a fancy menu and a phone on a table next to the bed. For all intents and purposes, it's like a particularly swanky seadweller hotel room.

Except for the loud clicking sound as the automatic lock engages on the door, that is. The ship settles around her as she stares into space and thinks about sleep.

The Grand watches from outside as the door clicks, a faint smile still on his face. Contrary to what he had told her, however, he turns away from the door not toward his room but toward his security area. One last check, one last sweep of things, one last check in with his team and quick assignments for a few clowns to be on strict day shift.

He doesn't acknowledge Prediger’s presence in the security room. That is a conversation for another fucking time, when he's not so tired. Half an hour later, deep into the light, he finally gives the reins over to his team and takes his tired bones to bed.

The smile has faded from his face by then, replaced with a bone deep weariness he carries in his posture and on his face. The stained glass here in his private quarters is far less impressive than the panels in the cathedral, but he has one small piece with the face of his grub inscribed on it. His pan was drowning in thought before, but now the colors of the light drifting over his bed seem much less like swimming against a rainbow tide.

The robes come off. He double checks that his hair is firmly tied back so that it won't tangle with his horns when he inevitably tosses and turns, and he flops on his bed to stare at the ceiling in much the same way as his new passenger is doing below.

Here, in his own quarters and his own thoughts, the paranoia comes so much easier. The whispers in the back of his mind needling at him. Why would she be so nice? So trusting with everything important? Her transport, her dex, even a hidden dex. Alternian sensibilities say that she must still be armed somehow, that things have to be wrong... But something else in him that hasn't reared its head in a very long time sees the sincerity. The weight she had put on her words. The way she'd been so close to tears.

The Grand has seen many, many fake tears in his time. And many real ones. It is very hard to fake an emotion to the man who invokes so many of them himself.

...One more time, he pulls his phone out to scan cameras and check his security. One last scour of his ship. But when that finally turns up nothing, he puts his phone to the side and lets out a long sigh. His eyes drift closed, with the colors marbling over his bare face.

He, like Saness, will spend more than a little time lost in thoughts about the new face in his life before he finally drifts to sleep. His dreams are never restful, and today is no different, but at least the new face in his dreams is one that makes him laugh.

#long post #((like an absolutely enormous post #Plot Thread: A Gambling Troll #chimericarchitect #ooc eyes only

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